Committee backs vans for outreach after-school hours to reach high‑risk youth

County staff told the committee $100,000 of the requested FY27 appropriation would be used to purchase two passenger vans for the Street Outreach Network to address transportation barriers that limit participation by the county’s highest‑risk youth. Staff said the vans would enable providers to offer mid‑afternoon enrichment and serve as informal engagement sites where providers can connect youth to services.

Staff cited research and operational guidance about peak risk hours: "the peak hours for youth vaping and substance experimentation occur immediately after school dismissal or 03:00PM to 06:00PM," staff said, arguing the vans would help reach youth during that critical window. Councilmembers asked staff to confirm the targeted neighborhoods for the vehicle purchases and to provide details on deployment and monitoring.